TARANAKI.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 494, 11 January 1900, Page 13

TARANAKI.

GENERAL NEWS-THE WELLINGTON CUP. New Plymouth, January 4. Stratford nominations appear in this issuse. First acceptances for the Taranaki Guineas of 1900 are published in another column. Seventeen have been paid up for. On the second day of the Taranaki Summer Meeting, B. Russell was brought before the stewards, on the complaint of Mr A. W. Budge, starter, for crossing the field while riding Proxylin in the Auction Stakes. The evidence went to show that the cross, which occurred just after the start, was unintentional, and the rider was cautioned to be more careful in future. The annual Hack Meeting of the Opunake Racing Club was held at Pihama on New Year’s Day. The weather was fine, the attendance good, and speculation brisk. The meeting is always well patronised by the settlers within a wide radius, and plenty of money is always available for speculation, no matter how small the fields or how certain the result is for one hone. The secretarial duties at the Opunake Meeting were carried out in a thoroughly efficient manner by Mr Geo. W. Rogers, who deserves commendation for his promptitude and urbanity. The penalties at Opunake were very heavy. Winners of any handicap after declaration of weights had to carry 101 b penalty; of two such races, 171 b penalty. Mamnku had the honor (?) of putting up 171 b in the New Year Handicap. Mr Edwin George is the present owner of Fuchsia (late Waimea), having bought the mare for £l5 after the Taranaki Meeting. In the New Year Handicap at Opunake, Wavelet ran into a post and dislodged her rider (S. Cooper), who was badly shaken, but not hurt. Nominations for the Taranaki Autumn Meeting appear in this issue. For nine events the total number is 95, as against 138 last year —a falling off of 43 Some ascribe the falling off to the fact of exchanging dates with the Egmont Club, as the present dates are too soon after the Takapuna Meeting; and others again think the shrinkage is due to the fact that the nominations fell due in the holiday season. I may point out that the Manawatu Cup of 400 sovs only attracted seven starters, so that the cause of the shrinkage is perhaps due to the fact that very few fit horser. are now in training. A good deal now depends < n Mr Evett, the h -ndicapper, who will have to attract good fields, and, consequently, keen speculation. The Taranaki Club made a handsome profit over their recent Summer Meeting. January 6. Mr A. G. Bishop has leased Black r.ose (Australian —Waitara mare) to a Wanganui trainer. The sister of Kanaka was taken to her new quarters after the Taranaki Summer Meeting. Mr Bishop has had very bad luck with the mare. The Crown (Hotchkiss —Moilena) has won his full compliment of hack money, and will henceforth figure in “ open ” company. The Crown is a fine big horse, and more should be heard of him in the future. Cairo’s is not amongst the nominations for the Taranaki Autumn Meeting. Perhaps the hard going at Auckland found out the weak spots in Cairo’s pins. The next meeting in this district will be Stratford on January 25. Taranaki and Egmont’s big meeting follow in order. Mr J. George’s Lasting (Sylvia Park —Dunes) is nominated for the open events at the Taranaki Meeting. Lasting started on a couple of occassione in hack company, but did not catch the judge’s eye first. Wilson (Dauphin—Bombshell), who has almost won hie full amount of hack money, also figures in the open events at the Taranaki Meeting.

Word has reached me that the aged gelding Guardfish (Vanguard—Fish Lass) died at Waitara one day this week from an attack of pleurisy. The black gelding demonstrated that he had pace a few seasons ago, but during the past two seasons he seemed to have lost all his brilliancy. I hear that Mr W. Elliot has returned Tuora to his owner, Mr Fleming, of Cape Egmont. The acceptances for the Wellington Cup cannot be called fair, seeing that five of those left in are in two stables. The race at present looks open, but in naming Djin-Djin I don’t think I will be far wrong.

January 12. The question has arisen in this district as to whether second moneys count in calculating the £l5O that a horse has to win before he is debarred from competing in hack company. The Stratford horse, The Crown, has won—counting second moneys —£150, but, I understand, the connections contend that only first moneys count, and, therefore, the horse is eligible to start at the Stratford Hack Meeting. I hear that £250 has been offered for The Crown, but his owners want £3OO for this son of Hotchkiss.

The Egmont Club has postponed the date for receiving nominations till January 22 and the date of handicaps till February 8, the day after the initial day of th« meeHng. t Messrs G. W. Rogers and J. Lambie, stewards r(: of the Opunake Club, collected some £l2 for the jockey, Fahey, who was injured while ridings Vanguish in the Hurdle Race at the club’s last meeting. Fahey, I hear, is now out of danger. At the Manawatu races £l5 was collected for the jockey, Wall, who was injured while riding Watershot in the Hurdle Race. It is reported that many coastal owners and trainers missed their nominations for the Taranaki meeting through being away from home during the holiday week. No doubt the club made a mistake in closing their nominations in a holiday week. Sylvia Park seems to be developing staying qualities with age. He got over the Rangitikei Cup distance (one mile and a half) on New > ear’s Day, and many who saw the race reckoned the big chestnut won the event. The son of St Leger won a sprint race on the second day of the meeting. I notice that his owner has accepted for the horse in the Wellington Cup. Sylvia’s training has been mostly confined to sea beach work. Mr F. Stohr’s gelding, 1 iable, went lame the other day, hut, at time of writing, was again in slow work. There is every promise of a good race for the Egmont Sires’ Hack Produce Stakes next month.